There are a handful of wine regions around the world celebrated by and well-known to wine connoisseurs and amateurs alike. There’s Napa Valley in northern California, home to over 400 wineries. The famed Bordeaux region in southwest France, which boasts some of the most prestigious winemaking in the world. And of course Tuscany, producing unparalleled, timeless variations of the drink. While each of these places is renowned with good reason, there is a multitude of lesser-known wineries around the world that not only produce world-class wines, but also offer awe-inspiring experiences in relatively untouched areas of the globe. If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path adventure, be sure to check out these four wine regions.

Off the beaten path by VanSky

1. Douro Valley, Portugal
Running along the Douro River from northern Spain to the coastal city of Porto, the Douro Valley has been in the wine-producing business for over two thousand years. In fact, UNESCO has named Douro as one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the world. The steep hillsides lined with vineyards and sprinkled with family-owned quintas (wineries) make for quite a scenic adventure. Douro Valley is also home to Port wine, a fortified red wine only produced in this region.

Duoro Valley by joyfull

Quinta da Pacheca is one of the oldest wineries in the area and offers the unique opportunity to stay the night in a large shed shaped like a wine barrel. They offer tours, wine tastings, and food pairings as well.

For a scenic winery nestled into the hillside, be sure to check out Quinta do Pôpa. In addition to tours and tastings, they provide full travel planning for sightseeing, things to do, and places to eat in the Douro region.

2. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany (Also known as, Moselle)
Located along the Mosel River in West Germany, Mosel is one of Germany’s oldest wine regions. The area is widely known for its white wine, particularly Riesling. The exceptionally steep slopes are said to produce better grapes because the rainwater flows quickly away into the river. Mosel is unique as almost all of the work is done completely by hand, which can be quite strenuous in such a precipitous landscape.

Moselle by Thorsten Schler

Elsewhere, S.A. Prum, one of the most famous wineries in this region, has been in one family since 1156. With sweeping views of the rolling green hills and cascading river, S.A. Prum is perfect for a serene getaway.

3. Texas Hill Country, USA
Located just one hour east of Austin, the Texas Hill Country region is home to picturesque hills, swimming holes, and the proverbial bluebonnets that sprinkle the countryside. With over nine million acres and a unique microclimate, this region is ideal for the production of cool climate grapes, Italian varietals, and Bordeaux blends. The region is relatively young in the wine production world, as most wineries have only been around since the 1990s. This fact makes Texas Hill Country's many domestic and international awards even more astounding.

The Fredericksburg Wine Road 290 is home to 16 award-winning wineries. While each is worth a visit, be sure not to miss Pedernales Cellars. Their large patio overlooking the hills combined with their live music makes for a quintessential Texas experience. Grape Creek Vineyards is also a must-see. Situated on over 100 acres, this Italian-themed winery gives you the feeling of being a world away from the USA.

Texas Hill by Fotoluminate LLC

4. Mendoza, Argentina
Located at the foothills of the Andes, this region in Argentina is home to wide open spaces, a beautiful mountainous backdrop, and unique architecture. Widely known for their legendary malbecs, Mendoza boasts over 1,500 wineries spread throughout the region.

It’s no surprise Mendoza produces such delectable grapes considering the Europeans originally brought their best varieties to the country years ago. From small family-owned estates to large corporate wineries, Mendoza has a little something for every taste.

Be sure not to miss Carmelo Patti, known as the most passionate winemaker in Mendoza. As a true craftsman, his amazing Malbec has won international acclaim. The Vines of Mendoza is also a spectacular winery to visit. Situated on over one thousand acres, the state of the art facility produces over 200 different wines.

Food festivals are a feast for the senses, offering a vibrant mix of flavors, aromas, and sights that are a dream for any foodie. From the bustling streets of Asia to the historic squares of Europe, these festivals not only celebrate culinary traditions but also provide unique opportunities to capture stunning images. Here’s a list of the top 6 food festivals around the world that you need to visit.

La Tomatina, held annually in Buñol, Spain, is one of the most colorful and chaotic food festivals in the world. This festival is essentially a massive tomato fight, where participants throw overripe tomatoes at each other in the streets. The vibrant red of the tomatoes against the backdrop of the town’s white walls makes for striking photographs. To capture the action, consider using a waterproof camera like the GoPro HERO11 Black and protect yourself with a waterproof phone pouch.

Oktoberfest in Munich is the world’s largest beer festival, attracting millions of visitors each year. With its vast beer tents, traditional Bavarian outfits, and hearty food like pretzels and sausages, Oktoberfest is a visual delight. To capture the festival’s lively atmosphere, a wide-angle lens like the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is perfect for shooting both the bustling crowds and the intricate details of the food.

Held in Naples, the birthplace of pizza, Pizzafest is a must-visit for any pizza lover. This festival celebrates Italy’s most famous dish, with dozens of pizzerias offering their best slices. The festival’s vibrant colors, from the red of the tomato sauce to the green of the basil, make it a paradise for food photographers. To capture the rich colors and textures, consider using a prime lens like the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 for those mouthwatering close-ups.

Taste of Chicago is one of the largest food festivals in the United States, showcasing the best of the city’s diverse culinary scene. From deep-dish pizza to gourmet burgers, this festival offers a wide array of foods to photograph. To ensure you get the best shots in a crowded setting, a versatile zoom lens like the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED is ideal for capturing both wide-angle crowd scenes and detailed food close-ups.

Salon du Chocolat in Paris is a paradise for chocolate lovers, featuring everything from chocolate sculptures to gourmet tastings. The festival’s rich and luxurious visuals, combined with the intricate details of the chocolate creations, make it a perfect subject for photography. A macro lens like the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM is essential for capturing the fine details of the chocolates up close.

While not strictly a food festival, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in Taiwan is often accompanied by local food markets offering traditional Taiwanese snacks. The sight of thousands of illuminated lanterns rising into the night sky is breathtaking and offers a unique backdrop for food photography. To capture the lanterns and food stalls, a low-light lens like the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is highly recommended.

Each of these festivals offers a unique blend of culture, tradition, and culinary delights that are a treat to photograph. Whether you're capturing the chaotic energy of La Tomatina or the refined elegance of Salon du Chocolat, having the right equipment is essential. Be sure to pack your gear, prepare for the unexpected, and most importantly, immerse yourself in the experience to capture the essence of these incredible food festivals.

Once I step in a Michelin restaurant, I always have high expectations from the service down to the food (and yes even the bathroom!). So without further ado, here's my blow by blow account of what went down at Lasarte, Barcelona's highest Michelin rated establishment garnering two stars.

1. Ambiance: Unlike other high end restaurants, Lasarte is brightly lit, which means good food photos and no reason to doze off during a 2-3 hour meal. The vibe exudes understated elegance- crisp white linens, expensive platters (Made in Germany, mind you), and a modern, impeccably clean bathroom; all of which something my grandma's and my generation would love.

2. Service: Needs a little bit more training since I can tell some (younger) servers were apprehensive on where and when they had to put down the plate. Their military style of serving is not as polished as Manresa's although all of the staff were very courteous throughout our meal.

3. Food: It is easy to understand why Lasarte deserves its two Michelin stars. Each course was not only beautifully presented, but also you can tell that the chef had given it much thought. All ingredients played a role in enhancing the flavor. In many Michelin restaurants, there are some hits and misses, but with Lasarte, each plate, including the amuse bouche, that was served left me speechlees. It was definitely a meal to remember from start to finish.

Plus points: They gave us a cheat sheet of our pre-fix course before we began eating giving me a good idea of what I was putting in my mouth; most restaurants only give out the list at the end of the meal. The chef also came out to greet us and ask how our food was. 

My ultimate favorite is what I call as "The Most Beautiful Salad I've Ever Eaten." Scroll down below.

Amuse bouche: parmesan, olives, gelee, pistachios

Olives with grapefruit. So succulent and doesn't the gold platter look lovely?

Cheat sheet surprisingly came out at the beginning of the meal with my customize pre-fix of no pork and beef.

5 different kinds of butter: beetroot, mushroom, spinach, tomato and regular butter with fleur de sel. My favorite is the mushroom.

With foie gras and fish. Creamy gooey goodness!

Red tuna tartare with curd cucumber. The curd cucumber is a surprise adding to the 'gelee' feel of the overall dish.

Lightly smoked oyster on the grill with soft cream of Figueres, small squid ragout and crispy tubers. Figueres is Catalan for fig trees. The sweetness of the figs and the smokey flavor of the oysters definitely gave a unique flavor to this dish.

Vegetable leave salad, herbs, sprouts and petals with lettuce cream and lobster. The MOST BEAUTIFUL SALAD I'VE EVER EATEN! I actually didn't want to eat this because it was just too pretty to destroy. Alas, after staring at it for a few minutes and taking many photos, I decided to give it a try and was not disappointed. The transparent liquid, which I believe is the lettuce cream, made the bits and pieces of herbs, leaves, petals, etc. all come together.

My dining chum's beef carpaccio while I was served the sea cucumber below.

Sea cucumber, stewed vegetables, liquid cuttlefish ink and jewish perona liquefied juice. Do you see the black blob on the bottom left? Amazing how the ink pops in your mouth. The green sauce, jewish perona LIQUIFIED juice, sounds petrifying, but was very easy on the palette with the chewy sea cucumber.

Red prawn, royale of sea urchins, caviar of goat's burned milk and almond. I love anything that comes from the sea since I was born not far from it. Thus, I loved everything about this dish, especially the prawn that was staring right at me ready to be devoured below.

Very photogenic prawn! Hi there!

Farmhouse egg with sauteed wild mushrooms, scented meat juice, Iberian gill and truffled cheese shard. I had to google what a gill is and turns out to be a respiratory organ found in aquatic creatures (wikipedia). It sounds weird at first, but it definitely didn't stop me from feasting on this dish.

Low-temperature cooked monkfish settled on onions and paprika marmalade, braised endive with barnacles tarama and black olives. If I were to rate all the dishes, I think this would be last on my list. I believe that it is difficult to get the most flavor out of a monkfish unless if it is grilled or smoke. Nonetheless, I like the use of not so common ingredients on this dish. The barnacles were very interesting to look at and chew.

Roast pigeon, tomato and lemon with apple cream and interiors toast. See that stick in the middle? That was the winning piece on this plate- the pigeon's interiors made to look like a Japanese pocky stick.

Beetroot and yogurt cold cream, micro hazelnut cake, cocoa and cereals infusion. Ah yes, finally desert after 2.5 hours! This plate might look pretty and dainty, but don't be fooled. Whether you eat the ingredients one by one or combine them altogether, there is a burst of refreshing and bold flavors all-in-one.

French toast with frozen coffee creme and plum compote. The best french toast I've ever had. Period! Plus, it doesn't hurt that the plate made the dessert look even more dramatic.

Petit fours. I like the serving platter!

Close up of the petit fours

Even though I was bummed that once again for the nth time, I was not able to get a reservation at Tickets, Lasarte made my trip back to Barcelona worthwhile. 

In the dynamic heart of Frankfurt, an unparalleled travel encounter awaits—one that seamlessly blends imagination, aesthetics, and local ethos. The 25hours Hotel Frankfurt The Trip, a jewel within the esteemed 25hours Hotel chain, extends an extraordinary hospitality offering, inviting you to a stay that delves deep into the pulsating rhythm of the city. From avant-garde design to its strategic locale, let us unveil why this destination merits a prime spot on your travel agenda.

Chilean food is not as popular as Peruvian cuisine. Case in point, I've never seen a Chilean restaurant in San Francisco. Even in the capital of Santiago, most of the choices I found online are Peruvian establishments.

What's really Chilean cuisine? 
My travel warrior buddy and I agreed that of all the meals we had in Chile, something was amiss - it needed a kick that we could not point out what. I'm unsure if this is due to their strong ties with Germany that has made their cooking a bit bland compared to its neighboring countries.

Fret not, though. There are many familiar and more exotic dishes to be had while in Chile.

1. Mote con Huesillos: This popular summer drink for the Chileans is made out of sweetened peaches and wheat that can be easily found in any bustling area in the capital.

Cheers!

Canned peaches made even sweeter.

Slurping our mote at Plaza de Armas.

2. Empanadas: Chilean empanadas are huge! It can be ordered as your entree for the day with your choice of meat, seafood or vegetarian and tons of cheese.

Unlike other empanadas that are made out of thick dough, Chilean empanadas are filled with stuffing and have a thin crust that is baked to crunchy perfection. A seafood empanada, for instance, is filled mostly with mussels, squid, fish, and cheese.

Seafood empanada as one of our lunch entrees.

3. Seafood soup: I tried different kinds of seafood soup while in Chile. I was disappointed that it didn't taste like the creamy seafood bisque that I had in Belgium. I finally got a unique soup that was filled with shellfish and tuna and had a distinct taste of clam juice.

Hearty seafood soup.

4. Congrio: It is a local white fish and not eel as incorrectly labeled at one of the largest establishments that we ate at the Mercado Central, which is one of the most overrated food markets I've ever been to.

Congrio, just like any other fish, can be cooked in a variety of ways- grilled, fried, or even as a ceviche.  Ceviche with corn grits is the winning combo.

Grilled white fish, congrio, mistakenly written as eel on the menu :(

Fried and breaded congrio. Simple but tasty!

6. Breads from all over Chile: I really love eating at restaurants that have a visual representation of what I'm eating. Besides the fact that it makes my life easier as a food blogger, I don't have to ask the wait staff multiple times to pronounce or spell the words for me. Thank you Peumayen Ancestral Food restaurant for introducing me to the variety of breads one can only find in Chile.

Can you match the breads to the next photo below?

Ready to take my pick. The green ones are the best!

7. Horse ham: You read that right! I am fond of horses so I was skeptical to try horse ham. Since I was up to trying something exotic other than the alpaca meat in Bolivia, I ordered a salad entree filled with horse ham, which looks and tastes similar to pastrami, from Peumayen Ancestral Food, an establishment that celebrates native Chilean cuisine. I squealed with delight when I discovered a salad that had horse ham, Chilean hazelnuts, and eucalyptus in one dish. It is as unique tasting as it sounds. Sweet, savory, and everything in between.

While on my way to Peumayen.

Salad with horse ham. Savory and sweet all at the same time.